


The Spirit of Racing

by SnowyCrocus



Category: Frozen (Disney Movies)
Genre: Ice Bros - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-05
Updated: 2019-12-05
Packaged: 2021-02-26 22:20:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21676387
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SnowyCrocus/pseuds/SnowyCrocus
Summary: Elsa and the Nokk vs. Kristoff and Sven: one may be faster, but they're both winners in spirit
Comments: 11
Kudos: 52





	The Spirit of Racing

She really _was_ different, Kristoff thought. And it wasn’t just that she let down her hair.

(Anna had had to tell him – “she didn’t _cut it,_ you big buffoon, she let it loose!”)

_Or something,_ Elsa had said, and he finally figured out what that something was, more or less.

It was _acceptance. Confidence._

Now that Elsa knew who she was, _why_ she was, it was as though everything that had been holding her back had suddenly evaporated into the air just as it did when she thawed her ice. Usually, anyway.

She smiled more, her arms were looser, and though she had always held herself ramrod-straight, her back seemed straighter not just out of impeccable posture, but out of self-assuredness.

It looked good on her.

Except, Kristoff thought, when that self-confidence was aimed _against_ him.

Elsa’s long fingers clenched and unclenched around the Nøkk’s reins. Her eyes narrowed to slits and Kristoff watched as her legs flexed and tightened against her ride’s frozen sides.

In turn, Kristoff hunched down closer to Sven’s back. _“We got this, buddy,”_ he whispered, and Sven huffed in agreement. His hoof pawed the ground in preparation for the count.

The sounds of cheers rang in his ears and he tried desperately to block them out and focus.

_“Lady Elsa!”_ He heard someone scream. _“May the spirits be with you!”_ Kristoff rolled his eyes. _Lady_ Elsa was frickin’ _sitting_ on one.

_“Long live the King!”_ Another shouted, and Kristoff winced at the title. _“May you ride fast and true!”_

_“Three!”_

_“Two!”_

_“One!”_

The bell rang, and the roaring of the crowd compounded with Sven and the Nøkk’s hooves pounded in his ears…

\---

It had all started out with an innocent question.

And ho, _boy_ did he regret it now!

But after seeing Elsa ride the Nøkk for the umpteenth time across the fjord, he couldn’t help but ask:

“Where’d you learn to ride like that?”

“I didn’t,” she giggled softly. The hand no longer came up to cover her mouth. Not for the small bouts of laughter, anyway.

She elaborated at his furrowed eyebrows and Anna’s, “wait, what?”

“I haven’t ridden since I was a child, after…we were separated,” she started. She dismounted and greeted them both with a hug despite the rough topic.

“But we just kind of…. _fit_ ,” she said, referring to the Nøkk. “His spirit of the water and the ice in me…they naturally are a part of each other. We had to learn to understand each other, back in the ocean while I was trying to reach Ahtohallan, but ever since then my power flows through his and we…it just feels like we’re the same spirit.”

“Aw, just like you and Sven, Kristoff!” Anna jokes. She’s taken off her tiara for the night in preparation for their weekly game night and sleepover, and her cheeks are pink and eyes bright with excitement.

“Well, we share the same mind, you know. Isn’t that right, Sven?”

_“Sure is! You’re_ my _spirit animal, Kristoff!”_ The girls chortle at the commentary.

“You two certainly do have a special way with each other,” Elsa yields.

“Sure do. Y’know, now that you’re more familiar with riding, you should give Sven a try sometime. Might come in handy, now that you live with all those reindeer. Not that they’re as good as you, buddy.” He ruffles the fur on Sven’s head.

Elsa puts her hand on her hip. “No need,” she says, raising an eyebrow slyly, a taunting smile forming on her lips. Kristoff knows that smirk. “I like to go _fast,_ anyway.”

Sven harrumphs, and Kristoff feels his own hackles rising. “Um, excuse me? Are you saying we don’t go fast?”

“Wellll…..” Elsa trails off, running her fingers down the Nøkk’s back, and looks back at him with a challenging grin. “I didn’t _say_ it.”

“Ohhhhh boy!” Anna rubs her hands together excitedly. She senses what’s coming, shooting eager glances between the two people she loves most.

“Is that a challenge?” Kristoff straightens his back and strides up to Elsa. He hopes it feels as intimidating as he wants it to be. She may be some special-spirit-whatever, but as he looks down his nose at her he tries to convey that he _will_ defeat her if necessary in a race.

Sven stalks up to the Nøkk and snorts in front of the water horse’s snout. The Nøkk rears back and stomps both front hooves, releasing a sudden spray of water that drenches Sven. He sputters and runs behind Kristoff.

Kristoff shakes his head in loving disbelief. “You two may run fast on water and ice,” he starts, arms folding to cross over his chest. “But me and Sven have you two _beat_ on land.”

“Sven and _I,”_ Elsa corrects, “and you’re _on._ ”

\---

After hearing the challenge, Anna, as queen, had a racing track built around the outskirts of the city of Arendelle.

“Ooh, this is perfect!” She had exclaimed, fanning her hands out in front of her as she imagined the scene. “This’ll create jobs and give the people something to look forward to! _Everyone_ will want to celebrate the race between our former-queen-turned-ice-spirit and the King consort!”

Sure enough, she was right. Hundreds had come to watch the competition unfold between two of the three most talked-about people in the Kingdom. Bets were placed, people clamored to get the closest spots to the racetrack, food was brought and passed around.

The Nøkk may be magical, Kristoff thinks, but he’s used to only running on water, not land and snow. _Surely_ he and Sven have the home advantage.

And that seems to be the case at first. For the first few minutes, Kristoff can hear the even, steady stride of the Nøkk from behind Sven. The path isn’t easy, and he feels confident that the uneven terrain and obstacles will keep Elsa and her spirit-horse safely behind. There are dips in the ground, crusts of icy snow, and hidden branches buried in the fallen powder. He and Sven were _born_ for this environment. A magical being? Maybe not so much.

He internally cheers when he hears Elsa’s brief cry of alarm when the Nøkk stumbles over a snow-buried log. Looking back to make sure she’s alright, he finds he’s shocked to find his competitors are much, _much_ closer than he had thought.

“Let’s go, Sven,” he urges his friend.

He hangs on as Sven puts forth a burst of speed, only to be taken aback when he hears a grunt from Elsa sidling up right next to him.

Her cheeks are flushed a bright pink, excitement dancing in her eyes and concentration furrowing her brow. She’s created riding trousers for herself, though her feet are bare as they always seem to be nowadays.

And of course, she’s wearing a cape. It soars out behind her from the wind, taunting Kristoff as she and the Nøkk surpass them.

Kristoff taps Sven, who’s beginning to pant with the effort to regain his first place spot. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”

Sven looks back for a second to give Kristoff a grin, then _lunges_ forward to grip Elsa’s cape in his teeth. He pulls back…..

Elsa startles at the tug.

But then her eyes narrow, glinting, and she cocks one of those classic Elsa smirks. One hand raises from the Nøkk’s reins to snap her fingers.

The cape disconnects from her fitted top, sliding off of her shoulders….and right into Sven and Kristoff’s faces.

“Arghhh!” Kristoff shouts as he desperately tries to throw the cape off so they can see once again. Sven has to come to a stop to avoid running straight into a tree.

By the time he throws off the cape, mere seconds later, Elsa and the Nøkk are gone.

\---

“This is _so_ not fair!” Kristoff exclaims as he watches Elsa accept a trophy from Anna. “They’re magical!”

People from the kingdom cheer for Lady Elsa while others shoot depressed glares at their King consort while paying their lost bet.

Elsa laughs, waving to her fans that she just made much richer. She slides her hand over the Nøkk’s nose and feeds him an ice carrot. Sven looks on in jealousy.

“I didn’t hear you complaining when Olaf’s magic and rearranging helped you two win charades,” she argues, one slim eyebrow raised. 

“Yeah, well… that’s different!”

Even Sven snorts at that.

“Don’t worry too much,” Elsa chides him, “I’m sure among the average human and reindeer you both would be considered _very_ fast.” She winks. Kristoff can’t help but smile at her easygoing banter and cheerfulness. She deserves it now.

Elsa gives Kristoff an extremely quick hug and Sven a light pat before heading off to meet with her clamoring child admirers.

“Oh, c’mere you big loser!”

Anna plants a big kiss on his cheek, and Kristoff flushes in both embarrassment and pleasure.

He may not be a magical winner, but sometimes he sure does feel like one.


End file.
